What She Did part 2
by OursIsTheFury94
Summary: Part 2 in my What She Did series, hence the title. Shows the progression of the relationship between Hermione Granger, one third of the Golden Trio, and Narcissa Malfoy, wife of a Death Eater. Terrible summary, I apologise! Reviews appreciated!
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Hello again! This is the first chapter of the sequel to 'What She Did'. I found this really difficult to write, and its actually turned out to be much longer than I had originally planned. I'm now pretty sure that this will just be a 2-shot, but I have already got Part 3 of my 'What She Did' series in the works. I decided that I wanted to post this is honour of the public release of Deathly Hallows part2, and since I won't be here at midnight to post it (I'm going to a midnight screening woop woop) I thought I'd post it now. Hope you enjoy it!_

_Disclaimer: No, I'm not J.K. Rowling. If only...  
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It had been two months since the world had finally been rid of Voldemort. It had been two months since Hermione Granger had reached an understanding with Narcissa Malfoy after their encounter in the midst of the Final Battle at Hogwarts. And, it had been two months since Hermione was able to remember a time when Narcissa wasn't continually in her thoughts. The older witch, although not physically present, was now a constant feature in Hermione's life.

The touch of Narcissa Malfoy had left a lasting impression upon the young witch. She had used all her knowledge and common sense in an attempt to come up with a reasonable explanation for her reaction to the older witch's touch. The best that she could come up with was that she had just survived a battle, and her body was still under strain. Any human touch would have given her a positive feeling. But, even she didn't believe that, and the more she dwelled on the subject, the more confused she became. All she knew was that Narcissa Malfoy had invaded both her mind and body with the simplest of touches.

Life had been hectic since the defeat of Lord Voldemort. The Wizengamot had simply questioned each surviving Death Eater before sentencing them to life in Azkaban prison. There was no doubt about their involvement with Voldemort; therefore there was no chance of them escaping imprisonment. However, the last case of a known Voldemort supporting family proved to be slightly more complex.

Lucius Malfoy was a known Death Eater during the First Wizarding War, and had only escaped Azkaban by claiming he had been working while under the Imperius Curse. Up until the night of the Battle of Hogwarts, his imprisonment would have been inevitable had Voldemort still been defeated. However, the actions of his wife that night had changed everything. Narcissa Malfoy has lied to the face of Voldemort himself, allowing 'The Chosen One' Harry Potter to re-enter the battle at its most desperate point, and finally defeat the darkest wizard of the age.

And now, two months on from the night that had changed the Wizarding world forever, Hermione stood in front of the entire Wizengamot, having just testified on behalf of Narcissa. There was no doubt in her mind that she had done the right thing, no matter what Ronald Weasley had tried to tell her. Harry had also testifying for Narcissa. Despite his misgivings about her husband and son, he knew that she was greatly responsible for the outcome of the war. He owed his life to her, and the least he could do was ensure that she did not go to prison.

As Harry and Hermione walked behind the pardoned Malfoy's, as they left the courtroom in the Ministry of Magic, they found themselves faced with a torrent of reporters with cameras, all shouting questions at the family.

Narcissa Malfoy was not surprised by the amount of reporters engulfing her family and herself. The fact that a Malfoy had played such a large role in the downfall of Lord Voldemort had shocked wizards and witches all over the world. Although she was not surprised by the vast amount of reporters armed with cameras, parchment and quills, this did not mean that she was happy about it.

The reporters were actually the least of her problems. While relief was the immediate emotion she had felt as her family were acquitted of any wrong-doing during the Second Wizarding War, as the reality of her new situation fully hit her, Narcissa realised that life was still looking bleak for herself. She was still married to a man she had come to loath in the past few months, and her son barely made eye contact with her, let alone made conversation with her. Her older sister was dead, not that anyone but her cared, and she had never felt more alone.

But, there was one glimmer of hope left in her life. When the Granger girl had thanked her that night and she had returned her thanks, she had experienced a most peculiar feeling when their hands met. She couldn't explain it. She didn't try to. She left it in the back of her mind along with all her other memories from the Final Battle, never to be explored again.

That was, until she had learnt that the Granger girl would be testifying on her behalf at the hearing. She had been most shocked to discover that. Potter, in all honesty, she had expected to do something for her, after his own admission of thanks in the Great Hall. But Granger, no, that was most definitely unexpected. This piece of information had stirred a memory in her she had long hidden away. Granger's touch – a _'mudbloods' _touch – had awoken something in her which had been asleep for quite some time.

As Narcissa broke free from her thoughts, she felt an arm wrap itself around her shoulders. As she turned her head, she found that the arm belonged to her 'beloved' husband Lucius. Typical, she thought to herself. Once again, he's trying to play the part of innocent family man. Well, anything the press want to hear will most certainly not be coming out of his mouth.

"Lucius, take Draco back to the Manor, I can deal with her reporters," She told Lucius, the slightest trace of venom finding its way into her words. "I have no need for you to remain here."

"But, I think we should give the press what they want, a family intervi…" started Lucius before he was cut off by his wife.

"I don't really care what you think anymore Lucius. If your actions meant more than my own, we wouldn't be seeing the light of day at this very moment. Now, do as I say, and return to the Manor with Draco," ordered Narcissa, finally losing patience with her husband.

As Lucius and Draco left Narcissa to deal with the reporters, she felt a pair of eyes on her. She whipped her body round, and found a familiar pair of chocolate brown eyes looking directly at her. Those eyes had been stored in the back of her memory for the past two months, and seeing them again felt like seeing an old friend. They were comforting. They were understanding. They were… hers.

Hermione had watched Lucius and Draco leave before returning her gaze to the lone Malfoy. She wasn't quite sure how long she had been staring at the older woman before she quickly turned round, catching Hermione off-guard. Surprised, she had no time to re-direct her gaze, and only when she felt a blush creep up onto her cheeks did she turn away. However, the few seconds of blue and brown delving deep into each other brought everything else to a stand-still. Time seemed to stop, and, for a precious few seconds, Hermione Granger and Narcissa Malfoy were the only two people in the world.

Seeing the older witch being left to answer the questions her husband should face struck a chord with Hermione. So, in her stride, she walked over and stood next to the blonde.'

Narcissa gave her a sharp glance and quickly turned back to the reporters.

"You shouldn't have to do this." Hermione said through clenched teeth as she smiled for the cameras.

"I didn't realise anyone would care." Narcissa responded.

"Don't you think that you should have gone to Azkaban?" yelled a reporter.

Hermione looked at the crowd of reporters and tried her best not to scowl as the questions came flooding out.

"You're husband deserves the Dementors Kiss!" came a cry from the crowd.

"How do you feel now that your sister is dead?" One reporter screamed out. "Especially when you know that the rest of the wizarding world is relieved that she won't ever walk this earth again!"

Though what Bellatrix done to Hermione was horrible, she couldn't hold that against Narcissa, which is why it didn't stop her from whispering, "Let's go and get a drink, you look like you could do with one."

Narcissa was shocked to say the least as she registered what Hermione had asked her. As she struggled to form a complete sentence, she wondered why she was all-of-a-sudden feeling so nervous.

"Yes, ok Ms Granger, I will join you for a drink. As you said yourself, I definitely need one," replied Narcissa politely, wondering exactly what she was letting herself in for…

_A/N: There you go, chapter 1. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know what I'm doing with chapter 2, so I hope to have it written and uploaded within the week. But, please don't hold me to that! I'll be grieving this week, so that could well take up a bit of my time. Or, I might just spend the whole week in the cinema seeing DH part2 as much as I can! Also, I have to give a special thanks, once again, to AmoRay, who gave me some great help with this chapter when I was struggling. I even stole a passage of dialogue from her, with her consent of course. Please leave review, they inspire me and make me smile!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Hello again! First of all, I would like to apologise for the lateness of the update. I know I said in my previous A/N that I had hoped to have it up within the week, but things didn't work out as I had planned. I've basically been working non-stop to try and earn money for petrol (I passed my driving test last week!), and the rest of my time as been spent either sleeping or watching HP films or re-reading the books! But, I really do apologise for neglecting this story, especially as it is only a 2-shot. But, this chapter is the result of a rainy day in Scotland when I didn't have to work and I hope you enjoy it!_

Before entering the Leaky Cauldron, Narcissa prepared herself for the looks of contempt she knew she would receive. After all she received these looks every time she left the relative safety of Malfoy Manor. Despite being a shadow of its former glory, and being the setting of so many evil acts, the Manor was the one place where Narcissa could escape the judgement of the wizarding public. Although Harry had made it very clear in the Great Hall after the Final Battle that she had earned his respect for her actions, and others should feel the same, there were still many who remained untrusting of the entire Malfoy family.

Taking a deep breath, and drawing herself up to her full height, Narcissa entered the popular bar behind Hermione, who had not broken stride, and was clearly not as worried about the reception she would receive. Walking in behind Hermione was a fortunate event, as Narcissa's own presence was completely overshadowed by the presence of one third of the Golden Trio. However, Narcissa noticed that Hermione froze for a moment as she saw the number of people heading towards her. She clearly wasn't used to this kind of situation, at least, not without Harry or Ron being there with her.

A sense of dread overtook Hermione for a moment as she was engulfed by a crowd of drinkers, all eager to shake her hand and ask her questions. It had only been two months since the Battle of Hogwarts had taken place, so the term 'war hero' still held a great deal of meaning. While Ron, finally glad to be in the spotlight, had taken this title without hesitance, Harry and Hermione had felt wary about it. Both were uncomfortable about being called heroes, as both were far too aware of the other life's that had been lost during the Battle, and had been looking forward to quiet lives away from the spotlight. It was only now that Hermione could fully understand how Harry had felt during his six years at Hogwarts. She felt continually lonely, although she was in a huge crowd. Harry had been her guardian angel, helping her to cope with everything. Ron, on the other hand, had been a total prat from the moment Voldemort had been defeated. Looking back now, she could not understand what she had seen in him. While Harry, at the age of 17 was ready to spend the rest of his life with Ginny, Ron was working his way into the bed of every girl who threw themselves at his feet.

Hermione felt a soft hand wrap itself round her wrist and firmly pull her way from the crowd of admirers.

"Go and find us seats, I'll get the drinks," Narcissa said, "preferably away from your adoring public." she finished with a small smile on her face.

As Hermione sat herself at a table at the back of the pub, the full reality of the situation dawned on her. She was having a drink with Narcissa Malfoy. She would have to make conversation with her. Her stomach suddenly began to perform flips, and her heartbeat increased slightly. She was beginning to panic when two glasses and a full bottle of Firewhisky were set down in front of her.

"I need something a bit stronger after today's event, I hope you don't mind," explained Narcissa, pointing towards the Firewhisky, "If you'd prefer something else, I can order it for you, if you wish."

"No, this is fine," replied Hermione, extracting her wand from her pocket, before giving it a simply flick, which resulted in the opening of the Firewhisky and its pouring into each glass. After returning her wand to her pocket, Hermione took a large gulp of the fiery drink, before erupting into a coughing fit.

As her coughing subsided, yet her throat remained on fire, Hermione caught the eye of the usually proper Mrs Malfoy, who then proceeded to break into a giggling fit at Hermione's situation.

Her laughter was infectious, and seconds later Hermione had joined in. As the laughter died out, a slightly awkward silence rose between them. Hermione reached once again for her drink, this time being careful to only take a small sip.

"Wh… Why did you do it?" asked Hermione suddenly, eager to dispel the silence between the two of them.

"Why did I do what, Ms Granger?" replied Narcissa, although she knew what the younger woman was referring to.

"Lie to Voldemort about Harry," said Hermione nervously, unsure if she was overstepping her position, before timidly adding "And, please, call me Hermione."

"Because I am a mother," Narcissa said simply, before seeing the confused look on Hermione's face. "I asked Mr Potter if Draco was still alive, and he replied that he was. I had to find my son, Hermione. I no longer cared about the outcome of the battle, I simply wanted to find my son, and get him out of there alive. I knew that the Dark Lord would wish to announce the death of The Boy Who Lived in person, therefore I lied."

"And that's also why you asked me in the Entrance Hall where Draco was," whispered Hermione.

"Yes, as I said, at that moment all I wanted was to find my son," said Narcissa, before she took a drink of her own Firewhisky. She then said something that took Hermione completely by surprise. "I've always admired Lily Potter. For the past sixteen years I've tried my best to be as good a mother to Draco as she was to Harry in one year. Since that night at Godric's Hollow, it's been common knowledge that Lily Potter died while trying to save the life of her only child. I think I proved that night that I would be willing to do the same for Draco. A mother's love is more powerful than you can imagine."

Hermione smiled sadly at those words, as she thought about her own mother. She had decided that it would be best for her parents to remain in Australia with their modified memories. Life would never be the same for Hermione, and at least this way, her parents would remain safe and happy. Then, suddenly sadness was replaced with anger, as she thought about another mother she had come to know very well over the passing months.

"And what about Andromeda, Mrs Malfoy? What about her love for her only daughter? Or, does your half-blood niece not count for as much as your pure-blood son?" asked Hermione, this time knowing full well that she was talking out of turn.

"Do not talk to me about my sister, Ms Granger. We all lost things in the War," replied Narcissa, returning to addressing Hermione by her surname.

"Things, your sister did not lose _things_, she lost people. She lost a husband, she lost a daughter, she lost a son-in-law. She did not lose things, Mrs Malfoy, she lost her family. Her grandson, it seems, is the only family she has left," spat Hermione, feeling angry and hurt that this woman had not been changed by the events of the Second Wizarding War. As she was about to stand up to leave, she was shocked to see tears in the icy blue eyes of Narcissa Malfoy.

"Too much time has passed," whispered Narcissa. "Wounds have been left to fester for too long. I have thought of my only remaining sister, Ms Granger, more than you might think. But, time is a dangerous thing. Time does not always heal wounds, it sometimes makes them worse."

"How can you be sure? Surely Andromeda needs you now more than ever. Whatever family she has left she needs around her. Myself, Harry and Ginny have been spending a lot of time with her and Teddy, but she needs her sister. She may be more willing to forgive than you may think." said Hermione, finding herself feeling pity for the woman sitting across from her. On the surface, Narcissa Malfoy seemed like a person who had come out of the war unscathed, but Hermione could now see that she was also having trouble adjusting to this new world.

"I would not easily forgive me if I was in Andromeda's position," smiled Narcissa sadly.

"I didn't say Andy would easily forgive you, I merely stated that she would be willing to work towards forgiving you. You'll never know unless you try. Don't you think she deserves to meet her nephew? Don't you want to meet your great-nephew?" asked Hermione, sensing that she was making progress, as Narcissa looked up from staring at the contents of her glass.

As her blue eyes met chocolate brown ones, Narcissa once again found herself being calmed by them. Suddenly, she felt brave. She did want to make peace with her sister, Lucius be damned. His blood prejudices had no place in this new world. _Her _blood prejudices has no place in this new world. Although, in the entire time she has spent in the company of Hermione, she had never once thought of the young witch as a muggle-born or otherwise. In fact, what she was she was a supremely smart and talented witch, who stood up for what she thought was right. She also had the most beautiful and captivating pair of brown eyes, and a smile which could light up Azkaban.

"Mrs Ma… Narcissa," said Hermione determinedly, "Harry, Ginny and I are going to visit Andy and Teddy on Tuesday. If you wish to come, that would be more than alright."

Narcissa remained quiet for a moment, thinking about what Hermione had just said. First of all, she had called her by her first name. Normally Narcissa would have question the upbringing of a person who addressed by her first name without invitation, but she liked the way her name sounded when Hermione said it. It was a nice change from Lucius shouting it. Secondly, she thought about Andromeda. She was alone now, her only family being her grandson. Although, she had the feeling the she would have formed close relationships with Order members. That made her more determined to set things right. She wanted to be there for her older sister. Better late than never, she couldn't help but think.

"I would like to join you on Tuesday, Hermione, if you're sure that it won't be a problem."

"Eh… Well, it might be a problem to begin with, but that's the whole point is it not? To fix the problem," smiled Hermione.

"Yes, I suppose it is," replied Narcissa, before dazzling Hermione with a smile that made her breath hitch ever so slightly.

"Well, now that that's decided, would you care for another drink?" questioned Hermione, realising they had managed to work their way through the entire bottle of Firewhisky. It was only as she stood up that she felt the full effect that a few glasses on Firewhisky could have on a seventeen year old. As she untangled herself from her chair and began to make her way past Narcissa she stumbled forward. Vaguely registering the sensation of falling forward, Hermione was surprised when a pair of arms wrapped themselves securely round her waist, preventing her from falling flat on her face. After having regained her balance with Narcissa's help, Hermione quickly became aware of how close Narcissa was. Their bodies were firmly pressed together, with the older woman's arms still firmly locked around Hermione's waist. Narcissa's hot breath could be felt on the exposed skin of Hermione's neck, causing her hair to stand on end.

"Perhaps not, Hermione. It's been a long day, and it seems as though you've had enough," smiled Narcissa, obviously amused at the state the younger witch was in. "Are you quite sure you can remain on your feet long enough for us to put our cloaks on?"

"Yes," blushed Hermione, eyes fixed on the floor. Narcissa had broken the contact between them as she pulled on her own cloak, and Hermione felt herself missing the older woman's body pressed against her own.

Narcissa too, found herself saddened at the loss of contact between them. Once again, she felt perplexed at the effect this girl's touch had on her.

As the two women stepped out of the bar, they turned to face each other, unsure of what to say.

"Well…eh… Goodnight Mrs Malfoy. I enjoyed myself tonight," said Hermione, before timidly sticking her hand out for Narcissa to take.

"Please Hermione, call me Narcissa. I may be Mrs Malfoy legally, but I haven't felt like a Malfoy for a very long time," replied Narcissa, taking Hermione's extended hand, feeling a familiar warmth spread up her arm; a warmth she could remember feeling two months prior. "I too enjoyed myself."

Hermione merely stared at their joined hands, their skin tones complementing each other perfectly. "I… I can come to the Manor on Tuesday morning if you wish and we can apparate to Andromeda's home together," she blurted out, before she could stop herself. She immediately regretted what she had said. The Manor still featured in many of her dreams, or nightmares rather.

"Come to the Manor," said Narcissa, "but I will meet you at the gates. It would be best for both of us if you didn't have to go inside." Narcissa also dreamt about the events she had witnessed while her eldest sister had lived in her house. Although Hermione did not take her offer back, Narcissa knew she was not comfortable with the words that had just come out of her mouth.

"Ok," whispered Hermione, relief washing over her. She then, reluctantly, separated her own hand from the older witch's. However, the sensation she felt from Narcissa's touch remained with her.

As she stepped back from the Hermione, Narcissa felt dejected. She truly had enjoyed her night with the young woman. Now, she had to return to the Manor and continue in her sham of a marriage. Still, she thought, the first step towards a reconciliation between Andromeda and herself had been taken, and a new friendship has been formed. For the first time since the end of the war, Narcissa Malfoy had something to look forward too.

"Goodnight Hermione," said Narcissa, before she spun on the spot and apparated back to Malfoy Manor, feeling upset as Hermione's face was left behind, and their enjoyable night together now remained as a memory.

Even after she had disapparated, Hermione found herself staring at the spot Narcissa Malfoy has disappeared. The sadness she had felt when the older woman had left her gradually faded away and was replaced with hope. Hope for herself, hope for Narcissa, and hope for the idea that both of them, with help from the other, could find a place in this new world. As she disapparated, Hermione had a smile on her face, and the feeling of warmth was still very much felt in her hand…

_Well, there you go. Sorry again for the delay, but I hope it was worth the wait. Just to go off topic ever so slightly, but how amazing was Deathly Hallows part 2? For the most part I loved it. A fitting end to the series, although there were a few things I wasn't happy with. But, hey, what can you do? Back on topic, feel free to leave a review, they make me happy. I'm not completely happy with the ending, so if you decide to leave a review, don't hesitate to say if you didn't like it! Oh, and I almost forgot, there will definitely be a part 3. I'm sure some of you can guess what part 3 will be about ;) Once again, hope you enjoyed it._


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